Attorney predicts life sentence likely for Nick Reiner murder case

Attorney Matt Murphy shares insight into what the road ahead looks like for Nick Reiner, who is in custody for allegedly killing his parents, beloved Hollywood actor and director Rob Reiner, and his wife, Michele Reiner.

While speaking with Fox News Digital, Murphy explained that discovery is still ongoing in this case, saying that Nick’s attorney, Alan Jackson, “needs to carefully review as much discovery as he can obtain” so that he can “confidently decide” whether his client will plead “simply not guilty” or “guilty by reason of insanity.”

“Therefore, there is nothing unusual in proceeding with the trial. It is also important to remember that Nick Reiner has not been transferred; there is no decision on that. There is no mental health expert making that call. The defense has the authority to express doubt unilaterally, as I said. They can also say, ‘My client is not ready to do this yet,’ and at this stage the court has to basically take their word for it.”

Murphy says Jackson now needs to “stabilize his clients” [and] communicative,” adding that the next step in the process is to “hurry up and wait.” Jackson added that he “wouldn’t be surprised to see this hearing continue several times until he decides whether to enter a plea.”

ROB REINER AND HIS WIFE MURDERED: TIMELINE SHOWS ARGUMENTS WITH SON BEFORE HIS DEATH

He explained that the defense would likely ask the court for time to consider everything, and knowing that this case carried the potential for the death penalty, Murphy emphasized that he “never wants the public’s desire for an outcome to impact the constitutional rights of a criminal defendant” and therefore would support it.

“The defense will then prepare what’s known as a live-z package, or in Los Angeles County, they call it a live-z hearing. They’ll gather as much information as they can regarding mitigation factors,” he explained. “In death penalty analysis, it’s about factors in aggravation versus factors in mitigation. And some of the big factors in mitigation that Alan Jackson will discuss are substance abuse history, family dynamics, the fact that these are not strangers, these are parents who know him, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.”

WATCH: ATTORNEY MATT MURPHY SHARES WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE IN THE NICK REINER CASE

Jackson will then present the package to Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman and his team.

LEGENDARY DELI BECAME FAMOUS FOR ROB REINER’S MOST ICONIC MOVIE SCENE

“Nathan Hockman will then make a decision as to whether they will seek the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole,” Murphy said. “And again, my guess is they’ll apply for LWOP. They’ll ask for life without the possibility of parole. But I might be surprised. I’ve been wrong before.”

Murphy predicts Nick will receive a life sentence without the possibility of parole. (Rommel Demano/Getty Images)

After Nick was taken into custody on suspicion of murdering his family, his past with addiction and mental health issues resurfaced.

Murphy predicts Jackson will come away with “some kind of mental health defense based on addiction” and struggles with mental health issues, but said there’s a difference in “organic mental illness.” Organic mental illness includes illnesses such as “developing schizophrenia that is not the fault of the defendant.”

NICK REINER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF ROB REINER AND MICHELE REINER

“In other words, they get sick, they get mentally ill, and then they try to self-medicate or they start using drugs as a result,” Murphy said. “I haven’t heard any of this about Nick Reiner yet.”

He went on to compare Nick’s case to another case he had worked on in Orange County, California, involving a young man with documented organic mental illness who murdered his family and was deemed legally sane and found guilty.

Murphy compared Nick’s case to a similar case he worked on in Orange County. (Mona Edwards)

“California uses what is known as the McNaughton Rule,” Murphy said. “McNaughton Rule “It’s about 150 years old, and it basically expresses the following proposition: If the criminal defendant understands the nature and nature of his actions at the time he commits the murder, then he will be legally responsible, even if he is drunk, even if he is drunk, even if he suffers from mental illness.”

WATCH: LAWYER MATT MURPHY SAYS ALAN JACKSON, DEFENDING NICK REINER, WAS ‘AGAINST A TOUGH PERSON’

LAPD: ROB REINER AND HIS WIFE MICHELE WERE FOUND DEAD IN THEIR BEDROOM

“So the way we explain it to our juries is if the devil appears on the guy’s shoulder and says, ‘Hey go over there and stab that banana,’ the person won’t know that he killed a person,” he continued. “In other words, they don’t understand the nature and quality of what they’re doing. But if the devil looms over your shoulder and says go kill those people or I’ll turn you into frogs, you still have a moral and legal responsibility under the law to say no to the devil.”

WATCH: LAWYER MATT MURPHY SAYS HE WAS NOT SHOCKED TO SEE THE ‘BATTLE OF EXPERTS’ DURING THE NICK REINER TRIAL

Because of these factors, Murphy said, “Alan Jackson, as good as he is, faces an uphill battle,” adding that being drunk is not a “real defense against murder” because if it were, “no one could be held accountable for murder.”

In terms of the actual trial, Murphy says it’s possible for the defense to “express doubt as to the mental competency” of his client, then “the court appoints two experts to evaluate,” and then “you’re faced with this very long procedural process.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Murphy predicts the defense will “express doubt” about Nick’s mental competency. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Teen Vogue)

“Doctors will evaluate Nick Reiner and give their opinion,” he said. “And if he’s found to be incompetent, he goes to a mental health facility. That’s where he’s locked up for treatment and medication so he can come back. And sometimes you see, it’s almost like a game, a ping-pong, where mental health professionals certify someone as competent and send him back to court, and then the defense attorney makes a statement of doubt again.”

Murphy made clear that the investigation will not stop once charges are laid and that both the defense and prosecution will do “very dedicated work.” [and a] “A very professional investigation.”

WATCH: LAWYER MATT MURPHY PREDICTIONS NICK REINER’S TRIAL ‘WILL BE A VERY LONG PROCESS’

A video of Nick entering a gas station and getting a drink after the murders has surfaced online, allegedly showing Nick “acting weird” at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party before the murders, two things Murphy says “could cut both ways.”

“With a very skilled trial lawyer like Alan Jackson, he’ll argue, ‘Look, this means he didn’t know he was doing anything wrong,'” Murphy explained. “And the prosecution will say, ‘Look, this guy isn’t clearly yelling at the moon. He knows how to use a credit card. He knows he’s dealing with someone behind the counter.’ And indeed, under the law, that is a very, very strict standard under the McNaughton rule.”

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Murphy said it was clear that Rob and Michele Reiner loved their son. (Stefanie Keenan)

Murphy concluded by acknowledging that “addiction affects nearly every family in America” ​​and that many people know someone like Nick. She added of Nick: “I think it’s very clear that he was loved by his parents.”

“The number we continue to see is 17 rehab stints. So this is two parents who really love their son,” Murphy said. he said. “They’re bringing him to Conan O’Brien’s party, even though he’s 32 years old. So he’s had a lot of advantages in life, and he’s described himself before as a spoiled rich kid. Let’s see where this goes. This will be a very, very interesting case to watch.”

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION